Switch assemblies including slide plungers



March 15, 1966 c. D. BOADLE ETAL 3,240,884

SWITCH ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING SLIDE PLUNGERS Filed March 4, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 1966 c. D. BOADLE ETAL 3,240,334

SWITCH ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING SLIDE PLUNGERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 4, 1963 United States Patent 3,240,884 SWITCH ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING SLIDE PLUNGERS Campbell Dean Beadle, Olton, Solihull, Warwielrshire,

and David Warwick Lloyd Clamp, Knowlle, Warwickshire, England, assignors to Joseph Lucas (Industries) Limited, Birmingham, England Filed Mar. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 262,770 Claims priority, application ($2? Britain, Mar. 13, 1962,

8 9 3 Claims. (Cl. 200-5) This invention relates to switch assemblies, particularly for use in automatic weighing apparatus.

A connector in accordance with the invention comprises a first set of lines, a second set of lines each cross ing each of the first set of lines but normally being electrically disconnected therefrom, and a plurality of actuating plungers associated with the second set of lines respectively and whereby each line in the second set can be connected to any one of the lines in the first set but only one line in the first set can be connected to any line in the second set.

In the accompanying drawings, FIGURE 1 is a sketch illustrating one example of the invention, FIGURE 2 is a part-sectional side View illustrating a preferred construction, and FIGURE 3 is a plan view of FIGURE 2.

Referring to FIGURE 1, there are shown four input lines 7, 8, 9, 10, and four output lines 11, 12, 13, 14, the input and output lines normally being disconnected electrically. Associated with the output lines respectively are four actuating plungers 15, 16, 17, 18 which are slidable in a direction substantially parallel to the output lines and are actuable to form an electrical connection between an input line and an output line. It will be understood that since the actuating plungers are slidable only in a direction parallel to the output lines, each input line can be connected to any number of the output lines, but only one input line can be connected to any output line. Thus, in the drawing the input line 7 is connected to both the output line 11 and the output line 13.

The connector can be used for a variety of purposes. For example, in pending application No. 262,772, filed March 4, 1963 an automatic weighing apparatus is described using such a connector. In this case power applied to the output lines respectively operates means for permitting flow of material from four hoppers into a common container. The materials that can be stored are represented by the input lines, and the actuating plungers are moved to connect an input line representing a certain material to the output line or lines representing the hopper or hoppers containing the material. In FIGURE 1, one material is stored in two hoppers, whilst there is no hopper containing another material. To commence delivery of a material it is only necessary to energise the appropriate input line.

The actual physical structure of the connector could take a variety of forms. Thus, the input lines could extend within parallel grooves in an insulating block, the actuating plungers being slidably mounted in parallel channels extending at right angles to the grooves. The output lines also extend in the channels, and the plungers are spring-loaded and can be depressed and locked in position to force an output line into contact with an input line. The lines may be provided with spring blades to facilitate this operation.

The preferred physical structure is illustrated in FIG- URES 2 and 3 and comprises a base 21 supporting a plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending channels 22 within which are slidably mounted insulating blocks 23.

Each block 23 supports an actuating plunger 24 axial movement of which is limited by a stop 25 supported by the block 23 and engaging a slot in the plunger 24. The blocks 23 are covered by a plate 26 through which the plungers 24 extend.

At positions beneath the channels 22 the base 21 supports a plurality of micro-switches 27. These switches are arranged in longitudinal rows beneath the channels 22, and are also aligned in transverse rows, as can be seen in FIGURE 3. Each switch 27 includes an input terminal 28, an output terminal 29, and a conductive spring blade 30 secured to the terminal 28 but normally out of contact with the terminal 29. The blade 30 is movable into contact with the terminal 29 by a pivoted insulating lever 31 which is acted upon by a ball 32 part of which projects from the casing of the switch and lies beneath the respective channel 22.

The terminals 28 of the switches in the transverse rows are interconnected to constitute the input lines, one such input line being seen in FIGURE 2. The terminals 29 of the switches in the longitudinal rows are interconnected to form the output lines, three of which are seen in FIG- URE 2. It will be appreciated that depending on the position of the block 23, each output line can be connected to any one of the input lines, but only one input line can be connected to any output line.

It will be appreciated that for some applications the input and output lines could be interchanged, so that the actuating plungers are associated with the input lines.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A switch assembly comprising in combination a first set of conductive lines, a second set of conductive lines, each line in said second set crossing each line in said first set but being electrically disconnected therefrom, a number of plungers equal to the number of lines in said second set, means restraining said plungers to move across the lines in said first set in association with the lines in said second set respectively, means supporting the plungers for axial movement and means including a switch at each intersection of the sets of lines, each switch having a projecting actuator in the path of movement of a depressed plunger whereby each plunger on depression establishes an electrical connection between its associated line in the second set and any one of the lines in the first set.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein each switch includes a fixed contact and a spring supporting a movable contact and wherein each switch further includes a pivoted insulating lever engaging the spring to move the same, the projecting actuator being in the form of a ball bearing against the insulating lever.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the means restraining the plungers comprise tracks and wherein each track slidably mounts the supporting means, the supporting means comprising an insulating block, each block slidably supporting one of the plungers, and stop means in each block to limit the axial movement of its associated plunger.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,973,096 9/ 1934 Norton.

2,639,337 5/1953 Framhein 2O0----5 2,720,613 10/ 1955 Lustig 200-5 2,892,907 6/ 1959 Richmond 200--46 2,964,740 12/1960 Hense 340-166 X 2,982,445 5/1961 Koble 222144.5 X 3,028,573 4/1962 Stoehr 317101 X 3,146,320 8/1964 An Wang et al 2005 KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY, Primary Examiner.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Examiner. 

1. A SWITCH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A FIRST SET OF CONDUCTIVE LINES, A SECOND SET OF CONDUCTIVE LINES, EACH LINE IN SAID SECOND SET CROSSING EACH LINE IN SAID FIRST SET BUT BEING ELECTRICALLY DISCONNECTED THEREFROM, A NUMBER OF PLUNGERS EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF LINES IN SAID SECOND SET, MEANS RESTRAINING SAID PLUNGERS TO MOVE ACROSS THE LINES IN SAID FIRST SET IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE LINES IN SAID SECOND SET RESPECTIVELY, MEANS SUPPORTING THE PLUNGERS FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT AND MEANS INCLUDING A SWITFH AT EACH INTERSECTION OF THE SETS OF LINES, EACH SWITCH HAVING A PROJECTING ACTUATOR IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF A DEPRESSED PLUNGER WHEREBY EACH PLUNGER ON DEPRESSION ESTABLISHES AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN ITS ASSOCIATED LINE IN THE SECOND SET AND ANY ONE OF THE LINES IN THE FIRST SET. 